How I Spent a week in Florida w/o getting a tan!!!

[pamouselover]

fried cheese cake..oooh that sounds good.

 

[ShhhQ]

End of day 4.....

We got back to our room after dinner (ready to pass out)... Mom tried again to get her air pump working, the new one this time.... and still no luck, it just kept beeping at us... then I noticed the problem!!! It wasn't the machines, it was the outlet!!! It didn't work! I noticed this because her scooter was plugged into one part of it and was not charging, when we moved the plug to another outlet, it began charging..... same thing with her air pump! So that problem was solved, I planned on reporting the bad outlet, but decided we could live around it and let them know later!

Beginning of Day 5... Aug. 30th..... MK early EMH...

Well, that was the plan anyway.... we didn't wake up early enough to hit the EMH... oh well.... When we did get up, I was rushing to get ready, after all this was MK day!!!! The previous day, I noticed Mom kept removing her hat and it ended up wadded up in her basket.... so I planned on skipping hats this day.... I even left my cap.... I went to slather on the sunscreen and do my hair... Mom was dragging this morning though! Finally got her ready, and we were heading out the door (considerably lighter this day than the previous). We get to the elevators and I pull on and go to the side, so she can just pull on straight.... but she comes on and turns sideways too... When the elevator reaches the 1st floor, she is stuck!!!! She can't get it backed out the door and it goes closed on us.... and WE ARE MOVING UP!!!! next thing I know the door opens again and there are people trying to get on but can't... after several tries of this, we are now back on the 1st floor, and I get off mine and help her off.... of course in the process of this, the doors go closed and my scooter is still on the elevator..... AND WE ARE IN THE HALLWAY!!!!! Finally, I get my scooter back (I am just not used to calling them ECVs) and we finally leave the building... did I mention, I have a problem with patience? I have been working on it, but I had trouble with it at that time and lost it.

We get to the bus stop and there is already one wheelchair there ahead of us, that means we will definately be waiting for the second bus... I was ok with this but for some reason Mom got real impatient when it came to the busses... (I knew we wouldn't always be on the first bus that came along, but she would get frustrated if we weren't) While we waited there, the sun started beating down on us.... and that is when I realized my mistake! Yes, I had slathered on the sunscreen, but only on my arms and legs.... I forgot the most crucial spot!!! My face!!! I tend to burn easy on my face, neck and for some reason the top of my ears! I just knew at that point that my face was gonna be on fire that night! We got on the second bus, and because of the fiasco the previous day, I chose to sit in a seat instead of on my scooter. Trying to give you a mental picture of this.... along the one side of the bus was Mom on her scooter, then my empty scooter, and then there were 2 seats I sat in the one closest to my scooter so I could keep an eye on my bag. Someone had a loose folding stroller and I told them they could put it by the scooter so they would have more room.... Next to me sat a woman and a baby (about a year old or so) and on the other side of her was a place that people could set things down, another woman with 2 young children sat her youngest up there and stood in front of her with her older child by her side.... The ride started fine, but it didn't stay that way!!! Just as we were pulling out of Pop, the 1 year old next to me starts crying!!! And I MEAN CRYING!!!!! The mother starts bouncing him trying to calm him, I felt this was making him worse, he was in full out tantrum!!! He kept throwing himself backward across her lap....looked like he was gonna do a flip off her at times. Then he reaches over to me and slaps at me!!!!! The Mother says, "Don't do that!" and apologizes to me.... moments later he slaps her and she says, "Don't slap Momma".... I know he reached out and slapped me a couple more times, he even reached out and slapped the little girl on the other side of him.... All the while he is still screaming his head off!!! Eventually, the Mother restrained him holding down his legs so he couldn't kick and his arms so he couldn't slap and he calmed down. She did let go of his hands, and that is when I realized what his problem was.... as did the lady with the 2 children... he started putting his fingers in his mouth and rubbing his gums... he was teething!!! When the lady asked the Mother if he was teething, she said he might be, but her husband had the diaper bag and he was at the back of the bus! Eventually she released her hold on her son, and he started back up again!!! Kicking and screaming the rest of the way to MK!
Oh the bliss when everyone disembarked!!!! I had to remind the person that left their stroller to get it, I think EVERYONE wanted to get off that bus!!! After everyone else was off, the driver came back to let us off the bus.... and stated, "What a trip that was!" I couldn't have agreed more!

But soon we were off and into the park!!!!
This is the sight that awaited us!!

Let the MAGIC BEGIN!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

After a few minutes, the driver says its just us and starts pulling out..... about a minute or two after pulling out of the lot, while the bus was turning a corner, the bindings tying my scooter down came loose and I found myself being thrown to the other side of the bus... fortunately I had enough foresight to put my right foot down on the floor and was able to right myself and the scooter before doing any damage!

Sorry to hear about your harrowing bus ride.

Not long ago, they put signs on the undersides of the seats that are folded up to make room for wheelchairs and ECVs that tell people to transfer from the ECV to a bus seat.
The reason is just what happened to you. When you look at the picture you posted, you can see that there is very little to keep the ECV from tipping sideways, even if it is all fastened down tightly. Most ECVs don't have places high enough up the sides where the tiedowns can be fastened to totally prevent tipping. It doesn't happen often, but can happen.

Glad to hear you were not hurt though.
I wondered if I could use your picture as an illustration on the disABILITIES FAQs thread on the disABILITIES Board. There is a section about bus travel and I want to warn people about the possible dangers of tipping and why they should not feel guilty taking a bus seat.. Your picture is a good illustration for that.
Thanks in advance.

 

[ShhhQ]

Sorry to hear about your harrowing bus ride.

Not long ago, they put signs on the undersides of the seats that are folded up to make room for wheelchairs and ECVs that tell people to transfer from the ECV to a bus seat.
The reason is just what happened to you. When you look at the picture you posted, you can see that there is very little to keep the ECV from tipping sideways, even if it is all fastened down tightly. Most ECVs don't have places high enough up the sides where the tiedowns can be fastened to totally prevent tipping. It doesn't happen often, but can happen.

Glad to hear you were not hurt though.
I wondered if I could use your picture as an illustration on the disABILITIES FAQs thread on the disABILITIES Board. There is a section about bus travel and I want to warn people about the possible dangers of tipping and why they should not feel guilty taking a bus seat.. Your picture is a good illustration for that.
Thanks in advance.

Please feel free to use the picture! That was actually taken just after it was refastened down and I was sitting in a seat.

I actually had one bus driver insist that they didn't need to be strapped down and that it wouldn't turn over.... he was right about that trip, but it was after the one that had actually done so, I wasn't taking chances and sat in the seat. But I sat with my hand on the scooter just in case it should tip... I didn't want anyone to get hurt!!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Please feel free to use the picture! That was actually taken just after it was refastened down and I was sitting in a seat.

I actually had one bus driver insist that they didn't need to be strapped down and that it wouldn't turn over.... he was right about that trip, but it was after the one that had actually done so, I wasn't taking chances and sat in the seat. But I sat with my hand on the scooter just in case it should tip... I didn't want anyone to get hurt!!!!

You are very lucky!!!!

Thanks for letting me use the picture. It will be a good cautionary tale for people to be aware of.

 

[Simba22]

OMG that fried cheesecake looks SOOOO GOOD!!!! As if I wasn't excited enough to be staying at CSR, now I have THAT to look forward to whenever I want it!!

 

[dismom9761]

HI! Sorry the bus ride was difficult.

MK!!! Looking forward to reading all about it...

 

[ShhhQ]

Sorry I haven't been posting the past few days... I've had the flu, Mom was in the hospital and I still had to work so didn't feel up to thinking!!!!

Mom is home, I'm better (just tired) and I am off work this weekend so I promise to get our day at MK posted...

 

[dismom9761]

Sorry I haven't been posting the past few days... I've had the flu, Mom was in the hospital and I still had to work so didn't feel up to thinking!!!!

Mom is home, I'm better (just tired) and I am off work this weekend so I promise to get our day at MK posted...

I hate to hear you both have been sick.Glad you are feeling better...

 

[ShhhQ]

Onward with MAGIC KINGDOM!!!!

After the AWE of seeing the castle and getting pictures of it... we go to the center and was like which way first? At this point, I heard another screaming child to my right so we went left.... decision made!!!!

We headed towards Liberty Square.... which was the part that I was least interested in going to.... simply because HM was closed!!!!! We saw the Hall of Presidents and Mom was interested in seeing that, but the next show was at least 20 min later so we skipped it, planning on returning later.....

We kept on going, we turned the corner and ended up in Fantasyland!!! Yipppeee!!!! The first thing I saw was Peter Pan and a line a mile long!!!! I wanted to ride this but had heard that it was hard to get on if your not as mobile, so wasn't expecting Mom to ride it at all.... with that and the line I went past it. Hoping to get back to it myself....

Then on my left I see a staple of the Magic Kingdom and know that Mom can ride it!!!! It's A Small World.... yeah I know its on the boring side, but it was still one of our "lets do it" rides.... The line isn't so bad here and the handicap line wasn't bad either (although we did have probably about 5 wheelchairs ahead of us, that were not transferable) I was just excited to be there and getting on a ride... any ride!!! We get up to the front and they ask if we are transferable or if we need to stay on our scooters... Of course I am... I just have bad feet and can't do a lot of walking without hurting, but I wasn't sure about Mom... she told them she was though. I kinda think she shouldn't have though.... because when we got to the boat, she had to step up and step in, something she has a lot of trouble with.... (which is why we requested the walkin shower in our room)... after a bit of manuvering we got in.... and off we went....
oh and I went camera happy with this ride and not all of them turned out!
(BTW my camera didn't keep the pictures in order when I uploaded them so the pics of the ride are going to be out of sequence)

 

[ShhhQ]

Well... I warned you!

By the time we were done there, it was going on 11am... and after the previous days fiasco with lunch I wanted to get an early start on that (besides we had a 6pm adr for dinner so we needed an earlier lunch). We saw Pinocchio Villiage Haus and went in.... there was no line at all... of course we found out that they didn't start serving till 11... but that made us first in line!!! I got a panini for myself and a different sandwich for Mom (noticed that the posted online menu wasn't the same as the actual restaurant)... I was about done eating, but Mom is a slow eater and she was having problems.... she has days where all she does is sleep, no matter what she's doing she is just sleepy! And this was one of those days!
I looked at the time.... it was 11:30!!! I remembered, I had to get a FP for Splash Mountain by 12 for the DISmeet and ride at 2!!!! I knew Mom was still gonna be a while eating, and I would be faster on my own..... so I told her that I had to run and get my FP and would let her finish her lunch! I also grabbed her ticket! (I had grabbed a FP earlier for Peter Pan and wasn't sure if I was able to use mine again so soon)....
So I started booking it across the park to FRONTIERLAND....

To be continued....

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

I'm glad you're both feeling better! Looking forward to finding out if you made the dismeet, wish I could've made it but we did'nt arrive in Fla. until late afternoon that day. Linda

 

[dismom9761]

HI!Cool pics. Hope you get to do the dismeet ad looking forward to reading more...

 

[dismom9761]

 

[ShhhQ]

Sorry about the delay in updating the report.... between working 3rd shifts, trying to get some sleep, going to a birthday party, and a new video game that I bought.... I haven't taken the time to write.... BTW the game that I am playing is Kingdom Hearts 2, that combines your RPG games with DISNEY!! I am a character named Sora and fight along side of Donald and Goofy, with help at times from King Mickey! Some of the characters that I have been helping are.... Beast and Belle, Ariel, Pooh, Simba, Aladin, Hercules, and even Queen Minnie... probably others just can't remember.

Onto my report....

When I last left off, Mom was eating her lunch while trying to stay awake and I was zooming on my scooter from Fantasyland to Frontierland to get a FP for Splash Mountain..... for the DIS meet!

I was weaving my way and making decent progress until I got to the street in Frontierland.... the characters from Toy Story were out in the street doing a preformance.... I didn't have time to stop, I had to get around.... finally the crowds parted and I saw the glory land.... well maybe thats an exageration.. hee hee... I found Splash Mountain and saw Big Thunder Mountain next to it.... I had both my card and Mom's so I grabbed a FP for both of them.

Now I had to get back to my Mom... I had left her at a table at Pinnochio's.. I get back and she is STILL eating... as a matter of fact it seemed she may have only taken a couple bites while I was gone... she had basically slept while I was gone! I had earlier gotten a FP for Peter Pan and it was directly across from the restaurant... so I asked her if she minded me doing that... she stayed at the table, I decided I would walk this time and headed over... didn't take long and I was on.... I never really had any long waits that day!
I loved the ride! Would have taken some pics but forgot to bring my camera!

After I got off this, Mom was finally ready to leave the restaurant.... as we were leaving.... I ran into one of the Dissers that was to be at the meet later! The one that I had spent the most time talking to, and we recognized each other right off! Faindrops27! We exchanged "Hellos" and headed our seperate ways, saying we would see each other at the meet later.

Mom and I headed to Snow White ride....

Next up.... Mickey's Philharmagic!!!

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

Oh great an update!! But I still don't know if you made the dismeet, I'm thinking you did. Linda

 

[ShhhQ]

Well... the Dis Meet was at 2pm and I am still at about 1pm so far...lol

After Snow White... I was trying to find the Winnie the Pooh ride, but couldn't seem to see it... we did however notice that there was practically no wait for Mickey's Philharmagic... Mom was ready to see a show so we stopped here! We got in line and when I turned around... low and behold there was Faindrops27 and her family, directly behind us... so we talked a little while we went thru the line... the line was so short that people were hopping over the gates instead of using the long winding ropes that were empty (well not exactly jumping... they were in wheelchairs and opened the chains). This show was not on my must see list, but it was on my try if time list.... but I loved it!!! If we return next year it will be on my must do list! I wanted to take pictures but Goofy announced that there was no flash photography! However, he didn't say no cameras at all.....soooooooo... I used the video feature on my camera to capture the show!
(considered posting it here, but didn't want to get in any trouble so decided not to).

After we got off this ride, we still had plenty of time before the meet... so I decided I HAD TO FIND POOH!!!!!

We just hadn't gone far enough... but I finally found it.
We talked the CM at the entrance to the ride and he asked if we were able to walk or if we needed to transfer to a wheelchair... as this line wasn't scooter accessible.. I can walk fine as long as its not too long, but Mom was having a bad day and opted for the wheelchair. He gave us a slip so we could enter thru the FP line..... this was the closest we got to anything they were giving away... it said were VIP guests!

I snapped some pictures while waiting in line!

Here is what the Honey Pot cars look like

But this isn't what we rode in... the one we rode in made it a bit hard to enjoy the ride! Ours was the wheelchair accessible one, and they didn't design it very well.... It was open and plenty of room for ONE chair... but the one seat was directly behind and to the left and it left very little space for a person to sit with a wheelchair taking up the whole thing!

But still... it was POOH! So I enjoyed it... cramped or not!

After we got off this ride, we were in the Pooh Shop... I spotted a clearance rack and got a Pooh Headband with springy poohs on top!

NOW it was time to head to the MEET... but I was getting worried about Mom!
What to do? Go to the meet... take Mom back to the hotel.... hmmm...

 

[dismom9761]

Great updates!

Oh No! I hope your mom isn't feeling too badly.

 

[ShhhQ]

OK....

It was time to head to Splash Mountain for the meet, but Mom was out of sorts... she was having a bad day where she couldn't seem to stay awake for anything! I thought about taking her back to the hotel so she could sleep, but she didn't want to go until after our adr's so she wouldn't have to return. My thought was to find an indoor restaurant with AC where she could just pull her scooter up to a table and take a nap.... however that didn't work out, we tried but there was no empty tables at Pecos sooooooo she came with me to the meet.

At the meet I took pictures of everyone that arrived.....
faindrops27, TraciePierce, ExtremeSoccerMom and their families....
These are in no particular order for their privacy (although I made sure that they had previously posted their pics before I decided to post these)

The previous picture was better, but somehow the little girl wasn't in it....

Oh and here is the bird that got in front of me while heading to the meet... I had to snap a pic!

As soon as we realized that everyone that was going to arrive had arrived... we headed off to get in line. I left Mom under the shade of a tree and left my scooter with her. (Believe me, I felt guilty about leaving her... but she insisted I enjoy myself) We traveled down the FP line... and we got to the spot with the stairs and that worried me... I have problems with stairs... I can do them but it takes time and if there are too many it gets painful. However, before I started up the stairs, Faindrops27's Mom who was also using a ECV, was taken off to the side to the handicap entrance thru the exit... apparantly they let the CM know that we were in a large group, because they allowed our entire group to go with them!!! We ended up on 2 seperate boats, but it was good..

We got to the flat part where there was a cave with snoring coming out of it.. and the boat stopped! Since this was my first time, I had no idea if this was normal or a delay (turned out it was a delay). One of the people that got on the next boat said they got stuck on the uphill with one of the characters talking right in her ear...said she wanted to shut him up permanently.....lol....

After we were off the ride we all said our goodbyes and some of us grabbed fps for the ride for later.... This was one of my favorite rides the entire trip!!!

I was worried about having left Mom sitting for so long so I didn't want to linger any longer and hurried back to her...... She was fine! I think she must have gotten some sleep cause she was a bit better for a few more hours!

She has gotten into the habit of munching on ice and was wanting to get some.... we stopped at a cart, but they didn't have any ice to sell... so was going to use a snack credit to get her a bottle of water... but she said her card reader wasn't working... sheesh guess we need to go elsewhere.... but, before we were able to take off, she gave us a free bottle of water!!!!

Ummm its been too long... I have to think what we did next!

As soon as I remember, I will post another update!

 

[dismom9761]

you made the dismeet!

Glad your mom was okay while you went on the ride and the pictures are great!